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Random Encounters
Non-Combat Anywhere # A small goblin named Hezbart the Fearsome leaps in front of the group wielding a small dagger, demanding 500gp in tribute or the group's lives will be forfeit to his fearsome blade. # A middle-aged male gnome with a huge handlebar moustache and a crossbow the size of his body named Yomlinx riding a Gray Render crosses the group's path. There is a young blue male dragonborn attached to his saddle, tied up and unconscious. He is on his way to collect a bounty for finding the dragonborn. # You notice a young adult human with blond hair brushed back on his head and a long thing moustache anbd goatee, playing a lute lazily as he walks. His name is Jaret the Silent, and he is never ever silent. He is always either playing the lute, talking, or snoring, should he be asleep. However, he is very worldly and knows much about the continent. The Open Road # You come across the traveling Freeman family, a human male named Tom, a half elf female name Elira, and their son Gavin. They are moving here and there searching for work, but unfortunately neither Tom's skill as a Ornithologist nor Elira's skill as a Pewterer is in much demand. Sadly their cart has a broken axle, and they are stranded in the middle of nowhere. # You hear what sounds like a series of high pitched and frantic squeaks coming from nearby. Investigating, you find a fox whose leg has been caught in a trap. The leg is currently broken. # You notice a group of robed figures heading toward you on the road going in the opposite direction. They are the Nameless, a roving group of acolytes dedicated to the god Dunbull, the Child, and they are recruiting any who may join their cause. # You see a dark shape in a hill nearby, looks to be some kind of cave opening. Investigating you find the cave to be very shallow, more of a small hollow under the earth really, and a skeleton next to shattered crystal ball inside. # You find a small stone-like edifice on the side of the road. It has a couple of strings of flowers draped over it, and a small bowl sits in front, in which rest 1gp, 12sp and 7cp. This little road-side shrine is devoted to Xhengon, the Explorer, and is marked with his symbol. # You spot a herd of deer grazing nearby, they do not seem to have taken notice of you. # You find a pair of wild horses, grazing on some grass in the field nearby. # You notice the thicket of tree to your right has something strange about it, there appears to be small golden wisps of light dancing lazily through the trees. Investigating you find a small clear pond nestled in the thicket. The first person to take a drink or submerge themselves in the pool gain advantage on all ability checks for the next 24 hours. After drinking/submerging, the pond loses its lustre and appears to become mundane water. # A lone owl approaches, seemingly inquisitive of the party. # Your cart or horse hits a particularly badly placed rock and either cracks a wheel or throws a shoe, respectively. # One random PC starts whistling, everyone makes a DC12 wisdom saving throw or joins in for the next hour, unable to help themselves. # Quick as lightning, a small black cat dashes from one bush to another in front of you, an ill omen. # You come across what looks to be the remains of hill giant and 2 humanoids. All three bodies have begin to decay badly and have been picked apart by scavengers. # You notice a minor rumbling in the ground beneath your feet before an earthquake strikes. Everyone make a DC12 Dexterity saving throw or be knocked prone. Anyone riding a horse that fails takes 1d6 bludgeoning damage from the fall. # You swear to god that today was significantly short/longer than a normal day. It does not seem this way to anyone else. # You see a small wooden structure standing by the road, a wooden toll arm is positioned blocking the road, but can easily be bypassed as there is nothing but open field around the toll booth. A very elderly human by the name James Youngsman is currently asleep in the building, though bears the badge of the local authority in this region. If awakened he will insist on charging 1gp of toll for each traveller, as is the local authority's policy. # You notice not too far off the road appears to be the ruins of an old outpost for the local authority, though it is only about half intact. Investigating, you find little of note other than one rusty and dull longsword and a dusty copy of "All My Tieflings". # You find a small grave off the side of the road, a small plank of wood carved with a dedication to "Dalsim Jonqoop", a crude rendition of the symbol of Rasmin is carved into it as well. # You notice the day begins to darken, slowly. Over the next several hours you watch as the sun is eclipsed by the one of the two moons. A comet flies just in front of the eclipse at its apex, and then the eclipse is gone, the day as bright as ever. # Looking ahead you notice something bright white and small sitting in the middle of the road. Investigating it appears to be a small acorn made of gleaming white marble, with the word "Birth" etched around its shell written in Sylvan. #* 'Celestial Acorn - ' Combat Puzzles Statue of Darkness A shrine of a woman is perched on a large plinth or dais, both carved from dark stone gleaming in the torchlight. Her hand is outstretched, her face featureless. A offertory bowl sits empty on the plinth at her feet, while the plinth itself is strewn with coins and precious stones, flowers, incense, weapons, vestments, a bit of dark brown fur (bat fur), and a small lump of charcoal. Setting anything in the offertory bowl, or removing items already on the plinth, incurs Constitution saving throws to anyone within line-of-sight of the statue (don't immediately offer the line-of-sight specification, just announce who is making Con throws). Deal level-appropriate psychic damage on failed saves, or half as much on successful saves. Whenever this psychic damage is inflicted, the vision of the creature being damaged dims slightly. An Investigation check (I used DC 10) can reveal thieves' cant crudely carved into the base of the plinth behind the shrine. It reads: To those who come to seek my boon I ask you not for sun or moon Nor is my favor so eas’ly sold As to be won with gleaming gold I ask one thing before I yield: Return to me my cloak and shield Appropriate Religion checks (lower for characters more likely to be acquainted with this deity, but generally high, I used DC 20 as the standard, dropping it to DC 15 if a character's backstory included familiarity with this deity) reveal that this is a rare and seldom-used veneration of a typically male god of chaos, cold, and night. (For the curious, my inspiration here is the progenitor-god Nahadoth, from N.K. Jemisin's stellar Hundred Thousand Kingdoms trilogy.) The correct offering is darkness. Upon the statue being enshrouded in darkness the offertory bowl slides forward revealing a small compartment, inside of which is Cloak of Darkness.